Four condominiums damaged in fire

Published 6:00 pm, Saturday, February 14, 2004

The fire spread through the common attic space in the townhomes, said Brian Edwards, Montgomery Fire Department chief. "It got into that space and just kept moving."

No one was hurt in the fire, he said. Firefighters were able to contain the situation before it spread to any of the 11 additional homes that share the common attic.

It appears that the fire started in unit 801 and the wind blew it into the other homes, he said.

Damage was considered moderate for the four homes, with the upstairs being the most severely damaged area, he said.

The third townhome suffered the most serious damage, Edwards said. But none of the homes are habitable.

The Montgomery Fire Department received the call about 2:15 p.m. and arrived on scene four minutes later.

Response time was quick, but much of the damage had already been done.

Firefighters finished with the fire at approximately 6 p.m. and they left the scene around 6:30 p.m. Montgomery received aid from the Lake Conroe, Magnolia and North Montgomery County fire departments. Investigation of the cause of the fire is ongoing, with a determination not expected until Tuesday or Wednesday.

An estimate of the total damages was not yet know, Edwards said.

"The fact that there are no building codes and no fire stops contributed greatly to the fire," he said. This is the third fire of this type that Montgomery has responded to.

The only way that fires like this are going to be stopped is a countywide fire and building code, he said.

John Wayne Legg is a resident of the condominium that suffered that suffered the most damage. "I had just returned home and heard a commotion outside."

"We went outside and the neighbor had a fire in the first building," he said. The fire just seemed to hop from one building to the other.

Most of owners lost all of their possessions upstairs, Legg said. They lost all of their valuables and much of their clothing, but they were able to get some personal items out of the house.